Maresca David, Skachkov Ilya, Renaud Guillaume, Jansen Krista, van Soest Gijs, de Jong Nico, van der Steen Antonius F W
Biomedical Engineering Department, Thorax Centre, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Biomedical Engineering Department, Thorax Centre, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ultrasound Med Biol. 2014 Jun;40(6):1318-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.12.029. Epub 2014 Mar 6.
Atherosclerotic plaque neovascularization was shown to be one of the strongest predictors of future cardiovascular events. Yet, the clinical tools for coronary wall microvasculature detection in vivo are lacking. Here we report an ultrasound pulse sequence capable of detecting microvasculature invisible in conventional intracoronary imaging. The method combines intravascular ultrasound with an ultrasound contrast agent, i.e., a suspension of microscopic vascular acoustic resonators that are small enough to penetrate the capillary bed after intravenous administration. The pulse sequence relies on brief chirp excitations to extract ultraharmonic echoes specific to the ultrasound contrast agent. We implemented the pulse sequence on an intravascular ultrasound probe and successfully imaged the microvasculature of a 6 days old chicken embryo respiratory organ. The feasibility of microvasculature imaging with intravascular ultrasound sets the stage for a translation of the method to studies of intra-plaque neovascularization detection in humans.
动脉粥样硬化斑块新生血管形成被证明是未来心血管事件最强的预测指标之一。然而，目前缺乏用于在体内检测冠状动脉壁微血管系统的临床工具。在此，我们报告一种超声脉冲序列，它能够检测在传统冠状动脉内成像中不可见的微血管系统。该方法将血管内超声与超声造影剂相结合，即一种微观血管声学谐振器的悬浮液，其体积小到足以在静脉给药后穿透毛细血管床。该脉冲序列依靠短啁啾激励来提取超声造影剂特有的超谐波回波。我们在血管内超声探头实施了该脉冲序列，并成功对6日龄鸡胚呼吸器官的微血管系统进行了成像。血管内超声微血管成像的可行性为将该方法转化用于人类斑块内新生血管形成检测研究奠定了基础。
